Out Of Fight, Flight, Freeze: A Body Based Practice

When your nervous system senses threat response may leave you tense, restless, or shut down. This somatic practice guides you to identify your active state, release stuck energy through gentle shaking or warming touch, then return to safety through orienting and vagal breathing.

Clear step-by-step instructions perfect for overwhelm, trauma responses, or chronic stress, and no prior experience needed. A compassionate reset for when survival mode takes over.

Background music provided by: “Cotton Dreams” by Elm Lake (Epidemic Sound)

Transcript

Welcome. Fight, Flight, And freeze are your body's three most common survival responses. They turn on automatically when your nervous system senses threat or overwhelm. Fight feels like tension and anger. Flight feels like urgency to escape. Freeze feels like shutdown and numbness. All three are your body's wisdom trying to protect you. This practice helps you recognize whichever state is active, Honor it, Then guide your body safely back to rest and connection. I invite you to find a comfortable seated or lying down position where your spine feels supported, Settling in, Perhaps allowing your hands to rest easily on your lap, Belly, Or down by your sides, Or even across your chest, Whatever feels most comfortable. If it feels okay, Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze downward as you begin to settle in. I now invite you to take three slow breaths with me. Let's begin. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4 2 3 4 Pause 2 3 4 Exhale through your mouth for a count of 6 2 3 4 5 6 Pause for a count of 4 2 3 4 And one more time Inhaling through your nose 2 3 4 Pause 2 3 4 Exhaling out 2 3 4 5 6 Just notice your body settling into the surface beneath you, Returning to your own natural rhythm of breathing. Just observing without judgment. Step one of this practice is identifying your survival state. Bring curious, Friendly attention to your body right now. We're going to scan gently for clues about which survival state might be active. No judgment, Just noticing. First, We will check for fight energy. Scan your jaw, Shoulders, Fists or palms, Belly. Do you notice gripping, Heat, Pressure or faster breath? Does your body feel ready to push back or defend? A tightness? If yes, Silently acknowledge, I see fight energy here protecting me. If no fight energy, That's fine too. Just rest in whatever is there. Next, We will check for flight energy. Notice your chest, Legs, Feeling your heart rate. Do you feel jittery, Restless, Shallow breathing or an urge to get up and go? Perhaps racing thoughts, Planning escape. If present, Repeat, Fight energy keeping me safe. And it's okay if they're not there. Just simply rest in whatever. Finally, We will check for freeze energy. Noticing your whole body. Do you feel heavy or numb? Disconnected? Slowed breathing or blankness? Like time stopped. If it's here, Repeat after me, Freeze energy shielding me. And again, It's okay if it's not present. Just rest in whatever is there. Whichever state you found or blend of states, Just note it. You're not doing anything wrong. These responses kept our ancestors alive. Step 2. Release stuck survival energy. Now we'll help your body complete these responses safely through simple movement. If fight or flight feels active, Tension, Urgency, Or heat, Lift your arms out to the sides and shake them. Shake them gently, Like shaking water off after washing dishes. Start with hands and wrists. Let it travel up the arms to shoulders. Just shaking those arms gently. Moving the movements from hands to wrists, To the arm. Now, Shake your legs. Lift feet slightly or keep planted if seated. And shake from the ankles to the hips. Just moving gently. And then allow the shaking to slow naturally. Feel energy moving through and out. If freeze feels active, Numbness, Or stuckness, Rub your hands together briskly until they feel warm. Rubbing them together. And then place one warm hand on your forehead, The other on the back of your neck. Feel the warmth spreading. Now cup your hands gently around your ears. And breathe warmth into your face. I invite you to softly rock your upper body side to side, Like a gentle sway. And then allowing your body to return to stillness. Noticing what's different now. Step three. Orient to safety. Your body needs to know the threat is over. Through your senses, We'll orient together. I invite you to slowly roll your shoulders back and down. Lengthening through the front of your neck. If your eyes are closed, Gently fluttering them open. And I invite you to look around the room slowly. Name out loud or silently three things you see. It could be a chair, Window, Lamp, Whatever you decide. Three things that you see. Now name two sounds you hear. It could be your breath, Distant traffic, Music in the background, My voice. Again, You decide. And now one thing you feel. Perhaps the feet on the floor, Hands on lap. Again, You decide. What is the one thing you feel? This tells your nervous system I'm safe enough to notice my surroundings. This can be used anywhere. Step four. The vagal break and social engagement. Place both hands gently on your heart or one on your heart and one on your belly. Feeling their warmth. And if this time you're comfortable and want to close your eyes back, That's fine. Or you can keep them open or soften the gaze. Again, Whatever is most comfortable. And let us begin inhaling quietly through our nose to the count of four, Two, Three, Four. And then exhale through the mouth with a soft boo. Two, Three, Four, Five, Six. The boo vibrates your vagus nerve signaling calm. Let's do that again. Inhaling through the nose. Two, Three, Four. Out through the mouth. Two, Three, Four, Five, Six. And again. Inhale through the nose. Two, Three, Four. Exhale through the mouth. Two, Three, Four, Five, Six. You can play with these counts. Now do this on your own pace, In your own rhythm. We'll do it for a couple cycles. Remembering the inhale through your nose and the exhale through your mouth with a boo sound. Just attempting to have your exhale longer than your inhale. And then returning to your own natural rhythm of breathing when you're ready. And I invite you to smile softly to yourself in the mirror of your mind. Allow your face to relax into a gentle half smile. These activate your social engagement system. Your body's natural return to connection. Coming low. Picturing that mirror with your half smile. Step five. Integration and anger phase. I invite you to feel your whole body now. Notice your breath. Your weight. The space around you. You're going to choose one of the following phrases that feels true. My survival responses protected me. Now I can rest. Threat is over. Safety is here. My body knows how to return to calm. Choose one of those and repeat silently to yourself or out loud. Take a full easy breath in. I invite you to slowly invite movement back into your body. Slowly and gently. Wiggling your fingers and toes. Perhaps rolling your shoulders. And when ready, If your eyes are closed, Gently fluttering them open. Just taking a moment to notice how you feel. I invite you to carry awareness of these five steps with you. Anytime fight, Flight, Or freeze arises, You can shake, Orient, Breathe, Smile, And return to safety.